Sang Yoon is the chef and owner of the Father’s Office and Lukshon restaurants in Santa Monica and Culver City. Before talking about cooking, the restaurant business, and ketchup, he sat down in the Zócalo green room to dish on his sartorial favorites, the best beer for dim sum, and why the salad dressing he best resembles is blue cheese.
What’s your favorite T-shirt?
The one I’m wearing.
Is it always the one you’re wearing or is this it?
They all look like this. I have a lot of T-shirts. It’s a uniform.
When’s the last time you came downtown?
I’m here all the time. I very seriously considered buying a place down here. I live on the Westside, but given how often I come Eastside, it’d be nice to have a place to crash and not have to worry about driving home.
No one should talk to you in the morning until you’ve … ?
No one should talk to me in the morning, period.
What kind of beer would you pair with dim sum?
A Belgian Tripel. Yeasty, spicy flavors pair well with shrimp and pork.
What’s the most disgusting thing you liked to eat as a kid?
I liked McDonald’s when I was a kid. I don’t eat that anymore.
What friend or colleague of yours tells the best jokes?
I tell the best jokes. I think I tell better jokes than anyone I know.
What salad dressing best describes you?
Blue cheese. Smooth and funky.
What music do you like to dance to?
You’ll never know.
Whose talent would you like to have?
Thom Yorke.
Where do you come up with your best ideas?
Airplane trips. I always have good ideas on airplanes, seemingly.